How to Send Used Mobile to India by USPS Fedex from USA

Mobile to India Custom Duty and GST Tax?

This is my own experience about sending a used mobile phone by postal mail from USA to India with USPS (United states Postal Service) as the shipping company.

Sending Mobile to India by USPS with Fedex delivery

Which mailing service is reliable, cheap, fast and offers custom clearance in India?Fedex is most expensive with the cost for 1 LB package around $116.UPS has price tagged at $109.USPS starts their pricing from $61.45 for priority mail international.

The biggest drawback with USPS though is, they use India Post as their delivery partner in India for all their priority mail international services and takes about 7-10 days with NO custom clearance help.

Most of the people would use the USPS priority mail service but I would not recommend it. Instead, use USPS’s another product named ‘Global Delivery Express‘. This, simply for, it uses Fedex delivery in India and they take the pain of custom clearances on your behalf.

I know that it is almost the same price as UPS and a bit less than Fedex. But, you don’t have many options if you want reliability, custom clearance help and faster service. Even if you have time to spare and don’t care about speed, I would still strongly recommend to use this USPS service.

Here is the custom form and sample receipt for sending via USPS service:

Custom form receipt send mobile to India Via USPS

Then, the final mobile box would be placed in USPS-Fedex packet like this:

USPS Fedex final package

Documents required for Custom Clearance in India – Done by Fedex

Now, when this package reaches India, you will have to pay customs duties and taxes. Don’t worry, you will get a call from the Fedex or a delivery guy will contact you immediately with the documents that you need to furnish. In our case, the Fedex delivery person hand-delivered the list of documents to be submitted with instructions on 3rd day itself and that too after 5 PM.

You can pre-prepare yourself and collect these documents, to expedite the custom clearance. Note all the documents here should be of the person receiving package in India.

This is the letter you can expect you receive when your package reaches India and USPS hand-overs it to them:

Fedex document demand letter for custom clearance In India

2 Passport Size photograph. If you are sending documents by email, just send one digital copy.

PAN card copy.

Any one of the following:

Voter ID card

Passport’s first and last page

Driving License

Bank Statement

Ration Card

Aadhar Card

Documents to be downloaded and then filled up by person receiving package in India.

How to get a Indian police clearance certificate when you are staying in USA, UK,…

Fedex AWD number

You will find Fedex AWD number on the top of document demand letter. See sample above. Remember, this is NOT same as USPS tracking code that you would have got in USA.

Custom Duty, GST Tax in India

Here is the break up for this case:

Custom duty for sending mobile to India

This custom duty percentage keeps changing from time to time as government revises the tax rate. When I had shipped it, there was no GST tax applicable. But, now, GST tax rate is charged. The current custom duty and tax rate is documented here for your easy reference:https://www.am22tech.com/sending-iphone-6-to-india-from-usa/

For the purpose of customs validation, the CIF value is the price paid for the goods plus the cost of transportation, loading, unloading, handling, Insurance and associated costs incidental to the deliver of good from place of export to place of import.

This is precisely the value that custom’s values your imported item at. The other charges are calculated on this CIF value.

You would need to pay this fees (INR 2399) at the time of delivery to the Fedex person by CASH. They will provide the receipt too (as shown above) with your package.

Add to this, the cost of custom duty as charged as you can see the final hit to your pocket.

Marking the parcel as GIFT to evade custom duty/tax?

This would be the next best advice you will get from any fellow desi abroad. Well, that is true, but to a certain extent. Remember, customs in India are also the same desi with same mindset! haha.

So, you can ONLY gift up-to INR 10,000 worth of single package and that too without bill. The value of 10K is converted value after applying relevant exchange rate. Also, postal charges or airfreight or insurance is not taken into account to find the value of product.

NOTE: If the value of the gifts received is more than INR 10,000, the receiver has to pay Customs duty on the whole consignment, even if the goods were received free.

Who can be a sender of GIFT to send mobile to India?

Any person abroad can send gifts. There is no specific restriction that only relatives can send the goods. Business associate, friends, relatives, companies or acquaintances can also send the gifts to residents in India. No proof is required.

What is the total time frame to ship mobile to India from USA?

This service by USPS (with Fedex) takes about total of 3-5 working days if there is no custom clearance delay.

If you are submitting the KYC and supporting identity proof documents for the first time to Fedex, there will certainly be a delay of at-least 2-3 days.